Bashundhara Kings will have to play two off three matches of the AFC Cup under enormous heat and humidity when the matches scheduled to kick off at 1:30 pm at the Sal Lake Stadium Kolkata on May 18.
According to the AFC announcement on Thursday that the group stage matches are scheduled to take place from May 18 to 24 when Bashundhara Kings’ set to play their matches on May 18 to 24.
Bashundhara Kings are very much unfortunate, as it looks that the fortune doesn’t favour them in AFC Cup when their two times attempts in the competition went in vain despite rousing the chance to move forward.
The Bangladesh champions Bashundhara Kings will begin their campaign of the AFC Cup 2022 with taking on the Maziya Sports and Recreation Club of Maldives on May 18, will play the second match against ATK Mohan Bagan on May 21 and their last encounter will be against Gokulam Kerala FC of India on May 24.
However, the Kings’ first appearance in the AFC Cup was in 2020 with the match against TC Sports Club of Maldives, when the Kings embarked on the AFC Cup like a king out clashing the Maldives opponents inflicting a 5-1 defeat.
But due to spread out the deadly COVID-19 all over the world, the AFC called off the tournament, in fact at that time the whole world was almost clogged. Bashundhara then participated in the AFC Cup in 2021 and this time also they started the campaign with winning note defeating TC Sports Club of Maldives by 2-0, shared points in the next two matches with goalless draw against Bengaluru FC and by 1-1 against ATK Mohun Bagan and were unfortunately eliminated from group stage due to goal difference with the rivals being unbeaten.
However, this time also they will have to play their two off three encounters under hot and humidity weather in Kolkata.
The officials of the Bahsundhara Kings are a bit astonished after watching the schedule (match time), as they said that there was every opportunity to make schedule of match time at evening at the Salt Lake. Though the fixture is equal for all the teams, each of the teams will play two matches at noon and one at evening but it would be very tough for the players to demonstrate their usual performance.
Bayazid Alam Zubair Nipu, the technical director of the Bashundhara Kikngs, when talking to the Bangladesh Post said, “Actually it would be better if the matches would be held at evening rather than at noon. There would be enormous hot and humidity in Kolkata, so it would be something difficult for the players to demonstrate their usual performances. If the matches would take place at evening hour, players could display better performances.”
“But the schedule is for all, so we have to play, we talked to our players, they just said that it’s okay, no problem. As they are professional players, so they would have to adjust with every conditions, said Nipu, once played in the top flight football of domestic competitions.